


A Second Round

by Fyre



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-18
Updated: 2012-11-18
Packaged: 2017-11-18 23:16:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/566361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyre/pseuds/Fyre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle runs into an old acquaintance in Storybrooke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Second Round

Belle was settling into her new routine.

The library had been neglected for so long that she had her work cut out for her. Dust was thick on the shelves and the filing system made no sense. It was as if someone had deliberately reordered the shelves so nothing was in the right place.

She blamed the curse.

If it was meant to make people unhappy, then messing up the library was definitely high up there, because there was almost nothing as frustrating as a book being in the wrong place. 

She hoped to have it ready to reopen in a few days, once she’d put everything in order. 

A few of the local children had come along to see what she was doing. A girl called Grace had offered to help, though she could only stay a little while before she had to go and meet her father. Some of the others volunteered, because it was easier than staying at home while their parents talked about what had happened while they were cursed.

Belle was quite glad she didn’t have the problem of a second layer of memories. Decades in a cell were bad, but from the sounds of it, she could have had a lot worse. 

She stopped off in the restroom and washed another day’s worth of dust from her hands, brushed her hair, then headed out of the library. She couldn’t help stopping in the doorway and looking back before she switched the lights of. It was almost ready and soon, other people could enjoy it as much as she was. 

She had an apartment now, next to the library, but the concept of cooking with electricity still unsettled her. There was no way to check the level of the heat, not when she was used to cooking over an open flame, and she’d burned and undercooked things too often and given herself a stomach upset more than once. It was easier to go to the diner if she wanted something hot to eat.

It was busier than usual when she got there, a crowd of men gathered at the bar, and Granny was pouring out tankards of ale for them. 

“Belle!” Ruby waved from behind the counter. “You should come and meet the guys!”

Belle smiled shyly. There were so many people in Storybrooke, new people to meet and get to know from this world and the old one. So far, she had only seen three people she knew in the old world: Regina, Rumpelstiltskin and her father.

“Yeah! Join us!” One of the men turned around and she stared at him. He stared back. “You?”

“You!” she exclaimed. She remembered him, a dwarf in love, who had looked so hopeful. It was someone she had met. A familiar face. A friendly face! She ran forwards and threw her arms around him, hugging him. “I didn’t think I’d see you again!”

The dwarf was blushing when she pulled back. “Uh. Yeah, sister. Could say the same.” He looked her up and down. “You been in town this whole time?”

“Sort of,” she said with a tentative smile. “It’s a long story.” She squeezed his arm. “What about you? Did you find her?”

He looked down, then back up at her. “It’s a long story,” he said. He beckoned her closer. “Come and meet my brothers. We’re celebrating.”

She looked around the circle of faces, all of whom were grinning at her, and felt the blush rising. “Um. Hello.”

“Who’s your friend, Grumpy?” said the man with the widest grin. “You didn’t tell us you had found a lady.”

Grumpy rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Happy,” he said. He looked at Belle. “Red said you’re Belle. S’that right?”

She nodded at once. “Yes. Belle. Belle is me.” She held out her hand to the first dwarf. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

Happy beamed at her. “You too,” he said, grabbing her hand and shaking it firmly. “These are our brothers: Sleepy, Bashful, Doc and Dopey.”

“Six brothers?” Belle shook each of their hands. “That’s a big family.”

“There were eight,” Grumpy said. “Stealthy…”

All the glasses were raised in a silent toast.

“And Sneezy was the one who crossed the line,” he finished. He nudged her. “But we found fairy dust. We’re going to be able to undo it and he’ll remember who he is.” He pointed to a woman who had just returned from the washroom. “The Blue fairy is going to make sure of that.”

The Blue fairy - who was dressed as a nun for some reason - offered Belle a small half-smile, inclining her head. “Hello.”

Belle smiled, then jumped when she was poked in the ribs. Ruby had appeared at her side and offered her a glass of her favourite iced tea. “Making friends already?” she said with a fond look on her face. “Should I feel left out?”

Belle wrinkled her nose. “I knew Grumpy in the other world,” she said.

“Yeah,” Grumpy said with a snort. “We keep meeting with drinks in our hands. You think the world is trying to tell us something?”

“That you should both be boozers?” Ruby suggested. “I think that’s wishful thinking.”

Grumpy chuckled, raising his glass. “Here’s to fairy dust, boys!” he said. “Here’s to breaking the curse properly and getting back the people we’ve lost!”

“To breaking the curse!” Belle agreed along with the rest of dwarves. Her smile broadened. If the curse broke, then Rumpelstiltskin could find Baelfire, and then, he could be himself again. "And getting people we've lost."


End file.
